Oil-can heater



I. A. FULLER.

0H. CAN HEATER.

* APPLICATION man MAYe. 1920.

1,363,966. Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

JAMES ALBERT FULLER, OF LEMOYNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-CAN HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed May 6, 1920. Serial No. 379,271.

To all whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that I, JAMES A. FULLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Lemoyne, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Can Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to improvements' in oil can heaters and is adapted more particularly for railway use, the object of my 4invention being `to provide a heater which will be capable of receiving and holding the oil can now so commonly used on railways, a ire being maintained under the oil can in order to keep the oil at just the proper temperature for feeding the same to the journal boxes.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly described and then definitely claimed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part hereof:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals: 1 designates an oil can of the kind that is now generally used on the standard railways and no claim is therefore made to any invention in the can itself. My invention comprises a holder and heater for said can, and consists of a casing designated by the numeral 2 which is provided with a shelf or support 4 for the aforesaid oil can 1. This shelf or support 4 is preferably riveted, or otherwise secured, to the casing at the front half thereof, and the casing, at the rear side, is provided with a bracket 5 upon which the rear end of the oil can may rest, there being a space left between the bracket 5 and the shelf or support 4 for the passage of the heat as will be hereinafter described. Underneath the shelf or support 4, nea-r the lower end of the casing 2, is a bottom 6 leaving a space between it and the shelf or support 4 which constitutes a fire boX for the burning of charcoal or any other suitable material. The front of the casing is provided with a fuel opening 7, the size of which may be regulated by a vertically opening door 8. It will be obvious that a charcoal re may be kept burning some time within the casing 2, on the bottom 6, the

draft being regulated b the opening and closing of the door 8. llowever, it will be understood that any other kind of fuel may be used if desirable.

.The upper end of the casing is provided with a top 10 which in turn is provided with a hood 12 which is of just the proper shape to receive the spout 14 of the oil can 1, the latter being provided with the usual handle 16 by which the can may be inserted'or removed from the casing 2 as occasion may require.v In addition to the handle 16 on the oil can 1, the top 10 of the casing is also provided with a handle 18.

Vhen a charcoal fire is burning upon the bottoni 6 of .the ,casing 2, sumcient heat will be generated to keep the oil within the can 1 in a fluid condition and, as will be seen from my drawing, the heat from the charcoal fire will pass upwardly on both sides of the oil can and pass out of the hood 12 at the top, thus keeping the spout 14 as well as the can 1 sufficiently warm in the coldest weather. t will be manifest that the door 8 may be raised or lowered as necessity requires in order to provide more or less heat as the weather conditions require.

From the foregoing and accompanying drawings it will be seen that I have provided a heater for oil cans which will make it possible to use the oil cans now so generally employed and overcome the necessity of heating the oil cans before they are taken to the cars to lubricate the bearings, and will also do away with the necessity of placing the-cans on stoves, which constitutes a violation of the rules of the insurance companies. Furthermore, even ifan attendant leaves a building with his oil can properly warmed, if it is in intensely cold weather the oil becomes chilled before he can oil more than a few cars so that he will have to return to re-heat his oil can. This has caused grievous delays in actual practice since it is not uncommon for the attendant to have to go back and sit around for half or three-quarters of an hour for his oil to get sufficiently heated to permit him to oil a long train. Furthermore, by the use of my invention, oil may be used direct from the barrel and the attendant may go right to work without the necessity of heating the oil, since there will be sufficient heat in his heater to maintain the oil at a proper temperature and prevent it from becoming chilled. l

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a device of the character described, a casing having a support 'for an oil can, a fire box under said support, andV a top having an opening through Which the spout of an oil can may project, said opening also affording an escape for the heated gases whereby an oil can placed in Vsaid casing may be kept Warm, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing having a Support for an oil can, a fire box under said support, a `top having an opening through Which the spout of vthe oii can may project, said opening also aitording an 'escape or'the heatedgasesvwh'ereby an oil can placed in said casing may be kept Warni, and said casing having .an open iront for the insertion and removal of an oil can, substantially as described.

3. In a device of 'the character described, a casing `having a 'support vforan oil can and an open front for the insertion andreniovai of a can, a 'fire box 'under 'said Support, a door for regulating the admission of air to said firebox, and atop having an opening through which vthe spOut of an oil can may project, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a, casing having a support for an oil can and an open frontfor'the insertion and removal-of a can, and a hood to form a ciosure for the spout of the oil can and to afford anfescape for the heated gases, .and a fire box under said support Whereby :the heated gases 'frein the re box Will keep the oil in the can in a fluid condition, substantiaily as descriffe'd..v

"5. a device oi the 'characjfc'er described, a casing having -asupport lier -ain l"oil :can andan'open iront r'ftfhe insertion and re- Inovai vof a can, 'and ahood to forni acl'esure 'fr 'the `spout of the -oi1 -caijiand to :afford an 'escape for fthe heated gases, a Eiire box under said support, and 'a door for 1 reguatingtheadmissionfcf airto said fire ibex, Whereby the heat'edfgases from It'he fire Cbox will keep the 'oil in the fcan `in 4a `iin-id condition, `cubetantialiy as described.

In "testimony whereei i -ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES- ALBERT FULLER.

Witnesses:

FoRREsT L. NESMITH, Ross- Be'omvnnn 

